Cricket is the most common dart game played in bars all across America.
Who Can Play This Game
Just about anybody, male or female –it doesn’t matter. Very few physical handicaps (
blindness comes to mind immediately) prevent one from participating in Cricket.
What You Need to Play or Tools of the Trade
One arm in good working order
3 darts
1 Dartboard
1 Scoreboard
Chalk
Eraser
Massive quantities of your favorite beverage – mine happens to be
beer
A good
juke box is considered an added bonus
And last but not least, the ability to perform simple addition – this usually wanes as the consumption of your favorite beverage increases.
The Object of the Game
To “close” all of your numbers before your worthy opponent “closes" all of theirs. Your numbers consist of 20 through 15 and the bull’s-eye. You gotta hit 3 of each of ‘em in order for a number to be closed.
Sounds Simple Enough – How do you Keep Score?
Here’s where your chalk/eraser and scoreboard come into play. If you can you draw a “/”, an “X” and a circle, you can keep score in cricket. The numbers 20 through 15 and the Bulls-Eye are drawn down the center of the scoreboard. On either side of the numbers, toward the top of the board, are either then names or initials of the contestants.
For each dart that lands in the numbers – a corresponding mark is made on the scoreboard. Ya know that thin outer ring on the outside of the dartboard - if a dart finds its way into that space – its called a “double”. The thin inner ring on the inside of the dartboard counts as a “triple”. All the other space inside the numbers counts as a “single”.
Single = “/”
Double = “X”
Triple = “O”
This Sounds Too Easy
You're right – it is. That’s where the concept of “points” and one’s ability to perform simple addition come into play. As I mentioned earlier, you need to throw three of a particular number in order for that number to be considered closed. If for instance, you have “closed” the 20’s and your opponent can’t hit the proverbial broad sign of the barn, you may accumulate points against your worthy opponent. This is done by throwing 20’s until your opponent has closed the number. For each 20 that you throw, you get 20 points. The same goes for the rest of then umbers and the bulls-eye. The outer ring of the bulls-eye is worth 25 points and the inner ring is worth 50 points.
Warning! - it is considered very bad form to point your opponent to death. This practice is sometimes acceptable among friends but if your playing against strangers, I strongly discourage this practice. Its one of the “unspoken” rules of darts. Many a fight has been started and many an ego has been bruised by using this strategy. This is especially true if enough of your favorite beverage has been consumed and altered ones judgment.
Thanks for the Advice, Now How Do I Win?
Well, you gotta close all your numbers and the bulls-eye before your worthy opponent does. If you're down on points – you have to throw an additional bulls-eye for each 25 points that you are behind.
Example(s)
Player 1 has closed all their numbers and accumulated 15 points
Player 2 has closed all their number but accumulated no points
Player 2 must now throw four bulls-eyes to Player 1's three
Player 1 has closed all their numbers and accumulated 30 points
Player 2 has closed all their number but accumulated no points
Player 2 must now throw five bulls-eyes to Player 1's three.
And so on and so on.